AN OPEN LETTER TO PUBLIC SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND BOARDS OF EDUCATION

by Jack A. Urquhart

As the parent of two teenage children who fit the "at risk" status, I can testify that finding services to address their particular needs has, in the past, been a constant source of frustration and disappointment. Indeed, I can add with complete honesty that, where my oldest child is concerned, I can literally trace the decline of his self-esteem -- not to mention his enthusiasm for learning -- from the time of his entrance in the public schools.

This is not to say that we have not encountered some excellent, highly motivated teachers; however, the focus and duration of the special services available has, more often than not, failed to redress the past or reverse the on-going damage of an educational system that all but condemns children like mine to failure.

In point of fact, I have found this to be true both in the public school system and the private sector, where therapy and tutelage programs frequently fail to do more than label such children as problems, rather than focus on identifying and overcoming the factors which place them at risk.

The effort that it takes to find appropriate curricula and counseling for children at risk can be exhausting. Only this past fall I had literally to threaten tantrums, in order to have my son transferred into a Special Education program at his public high school -- this after he was found to be self-medicating with marijuana, a substance he was readily able to purchase on campus at his former public school.

My son's subsequent enrollment in the special education program has made a significant and positive difference in his life, but the duration -- only two hours a day -- is not enough. One need only examine his academic performance to substantiate this conclusion: where my son has received "Bs" and "Cs" in courses taught under the mantle of Special Education, his grades in mainstream courses are uniformly "Ds" and "Fs." This, I believe, underscores the need for a public school dedicated to the goals and objectives met by these too few "special" courses -- a school whose sole focus would be to do whatever is necessary and appropriate toward keeping "at risk" children engaged in what surely should be the on-going adventure of learning.

Finally, I would like to say that, while this letter focuses on personal experiences, I have met, during my quest, many other parents with similar stories to tell. It is, as I have said, not easy to find services appropriate to the needs of these children; thus, it is no wonder that some parents must inevitably abandon the effort, leaving their children to fend as they may. This is, in my opinion, a tragedy -- a loss that is far too great to bear.